Horton

[ACE-OF-ACES]

Originally Posted by Bewolf

The Go229 was stable enough to be cleared for serial production.

So was the B49!

The setback (crash at Edwards) in the program turned out to be temporary; the airplane's potential for a variety of roles was well recognized by the Air Force. A review of the Strategic Reconnaissance Program by the Air Force subsequently led to a formal contract in September 1948, for 30 reconnaissance versions of the B-49, designated the RB-49A.

Originally Posted by Bewolf

It may or may not have proven airworthy in the long run, I agree that desperation had a hand here. But ultimately is purely up for speculation if that aircraft would have had proven itself or not.

Agreed

Originally Posted by Bewolf

There is not much going for the Go229 Document wise, but engine failure at landing approach issues aside,

Which is the essence of my point as to what was there to copy? Granted US had possession of the Go229 prototype

But..

Knowing how hard it is to reverse engineer something favors the idea that Northrop would just choose to pass on it and simply use their own designs and associated flight test data from testing their flying wing designs.

Originally Posted by Bewolf

there is nothing going against it, either.

Actually there is some note of instability mentioned.. i.e.

Originally Posted by "The Great Book of Fighters" ISBN 0-7603-1194-3. pg 247

The H.IX V2 reportedly displayed very good handling qualities, with only moderate lateral instability (a typical deficiency of tailless aircraft).

So based on that one could say that 'size does not mater' with regards to instability of a flying wing

Originally Posted by Bewolf

It won a mock battle against a Me262, though.

I keep seeing people make references to this.. But to be honest I have never seen the original source.

That and I have seen it stated in different way..

Everything from it 'PWND' the Me262 in a simulated dog fight to it 'outperformed' the Me262 in a simulated dog fight to your most recent it 'won' the simulated dog fight..

Knowing how those definitions can vary from person to person it would be interesting to see the original source and transcript of it.

That and as far as I can tell it was the smaller H.IX V2 not the Go229 V3 that was used in the simulated dog fight, and as far as I can tell the H.IX V2 did not have any guns.

Originally Posted by Bewolf

I define failure by the ability to create an operational aircraft. There have been a lot of flying wing prototypes in history.

Well they were all operational..

In that they all flew..

The YB35s had issues with the props and drives shafts and the YB49 had issues with the reliability of the jet engines.. Something the Go229 even suffered from..

And as noted above the YB49s were put into production.. And that was after the accident at Edwards.. A lot of people mistakenly think the crash at Edwards was the end of the Northrop flying wings, which is not the case! It was just one of many straws.. And not all straws were flying wing issues as much as political issues and miltary cuts backs

Originally Posted by Bewolf

I never disagreed about the wingspan. The pics are stretched to give an impression about shape.

Ok, but my point is you can stretch an image to make the leading edges line up like you did in your shape pictures.. Thus one really needs to make those kind of measurements from a drawing with scales associated with it (blue prints)

Originally Posted by Bewolf

Supermen assisted by aliens? You need to become that bitter? Says someone from the nation that invented the A-Bomb and the internet? Seriously?
A bit more self confidence would be in order, here.

Ah that's right..

You missed my whole statement on the state of history these days.. Where so much of it stems from silly sources like the History Channel..

Where the History Channel has so many kids today believing the Germans were some sort of super humans and/or assisted by aliens from outer space..

My point to that being how important it is to dispel such beliefs!

In that the notion of one country or one people being 'better' than another is what got Germany in all the trouble in the first place!

So not bashing Germany or Germans, in that I would be bashing my family in doing so..

Me being of 100% German decent having grand parents that both came form Germany with roots dating back to the 1600s..

If anything having that background motivates me to make sure these silly types of history channel types of history get put in their place (the bin) ASAP.

Because IMHO the only way you can 'hope' to not make the same mistakes twice is to educate the children of today of the sins of the past

Originally Posted by Bewolf

Target, eh? Guess that explains the nostalgic vibrations here, hehe

In the flesh!

On that note, even I was surprised at how consistent my argument was between that one at ubi so many years ago and this current one..

I am good like that!